


the cold never bothered me anyway

by karasunotsubasa



Series: bubble bubble toil and trouble [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Boys Kissing, Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Modern witches au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:58:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9056356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasunotsubasa/pseuds/karasunotsubasa
Summary: After the last few weeks Hajime should be used to it, but... can one really get used to people randomly turning into animals, walking through dark parks and crawling under the bushes through some secret passageways, or simply magic being real?Well, if it was, Hajime definitely wasn't close to that stage yet. Not one bit.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm probably a bit late with this??? I honestly feel so out of the loop with this event, when even is the deadline??? how much is the required word count??? what's happening??? lmao rip me  
> I hope I didn't make my secret santa recipient wait too long, or if it's too early then I hope you enjoy //sweats  
> anywho, here's a small something for [@kerahgreywaren](http://kerahgreywaren.tumblr.com/), merry christmas hatty!

Snow sparkled under the dim light of the street lamps, like precious crystals, diamonds across the mundane landscape of the city buildings. It sprinkled on his face, lightly like a touch of spring rain, soft and gentle and loving. Oikawa walked next to him, skipping and glowing, his smile brighter than the moon over their heads.

They were walking through the park not far from Oikawa's home. The alleys were so dark, even the snow carpeting the ground didn't do much to help. It was hard to know which way to go, but Oikawa seemed to be working on instinct. Or maybe it was a habit, something he got used to over the years.

"This way, Iwa-chan."

Oikawa pulled him by the arm right into the bushes. After the last few weeks Hajime should be used to it, but... can one really get used to people randomly turning into animals, walking through dark parks and crawling under the bushes through some secret passageways, or simply _magic being real_?

Well, if it was, Hajime definitely wasn't close to that stage yet. Not one bit.

They finally made it through the branches and twigs, and really Hajime was fighting irritation because _if you're a goddamn witch then can't you at least do something about all the needles thankyouverymuch_. He didn't say a word, though. Oikawa's eyes were sparkly and dancing with mirth, and Hajime couldn't bring himself to put a damper on his good mood.

Hell, he was starting to enjoy this night-time trip, too. Needles and what-not.

Damn Oikawa.

A wall of stone came into the view once they stepped away from the bushes. Oikawa moved towards it and Hajime followed, wondering what was coming next.

Are they going to walk through it? Will the bricks move out of their way in a Harry Potter style or will they simply disintegrate under their touch? Would a door pop up to let them pass? Or maybe they will be sucked into a maelstrom and teleported to their destination?

So many questions, none of which was answered when Oikawa pulled out a piece of some stone from his pocket. It was his focus crystal, that much Hajime remembered from the rushed, way too excited and chaotic speech he was subjected to before. He only listened half-heartedly, as always when Oikawa went on a rant, but the crystal was kinda important so he guessed it was worth remembering.

Now the tear shaped sapphire rested on the palm of Oikawa's hand, fat and shiny, and Hajime couldn't help but wonder exactly how much a rock like that was worth. It had to be a lot, right? Were all witches actually loaded or was that just Hajime's impression?

Somehow it pissed him off.

"Iwa-chan, take my hand," Oikawa called, offering his hand palm up.

Hajime had to fight with himself to not break his fingers. Surprisingly, he won, but his small smug smile disappeared when he felt how cold Oikawa's hand was. He scowled.

"So what, you're a witch and you can't even warm yourself up?" he asked.

Oikawa blinked at him, as if he only just now noticed he was freezing. "I can. I just didn't feel cold."

"Well, okay then, sorry. Please keep on freezing to death," Hajime replied, ready to drop Oikawa's hand.

"Oh, hush, you dummy," Oikawa cooed and Hajime could swear a vein would pop on his forehead anytime now. "We'll both be warm in just a second, come on."

"Come on where–"

He didn't finish.

Oikawa pressed the crystal to the wall and it shone with strange blue light for a second and then... it stopped.

Hajime blinked. They were still in the park. The wall was still before them and Oikawa was still holding his hand. What the–

Oikawa's face brightened with a grin. He stepped closer to Hajime, lowering their hands, but not letting go, and he leaned in to conspiratorially whisper: "Turn around."

Sceptically, Hajime did. His breath whooshed out of his lungs in awe.

Back there where the bushes of small firs and pines were supposed to be, was a line of bushes just as similar, except for the perched here and there creatures of bright light and glittery wings, tiny and oozing warmth even from afar. Snow has melted off the branches around them while they trilled between each other, some kind of talk or maybe a song, happy and soft.

Behind the bushes was a red glow, a bustle of people's voices coming through the twigs. Oikawa led Hajime through the gaps, right where they came from only seconds ago, but to Hajime it seemed like a completely different place. The creatures on the trees squeaked at them, offended, and in wonder Hajime heard Oikawa mutter apologies.

"Excuse us, coming through, excuse me... Ladies, forgive us..."

Hajime would have snorted in laughter if his eyes didn't catch the sight of the bonfire they came out to face. It was huge. A good few meters tall. The wood inside cracked and sizzled, a sound so pleasant all of Hajime's earlier discontent disappeared as he stared into the roaring flames.

And they were beautiful – tall and bright, glowing orange and throwing out sparks that danced in the night sky between the snowflakes like fireflies made of actual fire.

"Amazing, isn't it," Oikawa asked and when Hajime turned to him he could see the glow of it in Oikawa's warm eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed. _Amazing._

"Come on then, I'll show you around!"

Only when Oikawa pulled him in the direction of what looked like festival stands did Hajime realize their hands were still linked. And if the crowd was smaller maybe he'd be more embarrassed and would let go, but with elbows knocking into him, he didn't dare to lose his only way back home.

The whole night Oikawa kept dragging him here and there, showing him things Hajime's brain could never even come up with. Like that concoction Oikawa thrust into his hands: a cup of something warm and smelling of spices, but tasting of sunlight and berries. Or the thing they had to eat, Hajime really didn't know what to say. Cotton clad snowballs, that was what it looked like, but inside there was a filling of hot meat – which was unlike anything Hajime had ever tasted. It was still steaming when he bit into it, but the outside was frosty and cold, and frankly Hajime could feel his teeth ache even long after they'd finished eating.

But it was incredible. Everything around them hummed with a soft buzz that Hajime could only call magic. He didn't know if he could believe whole communities of witches lived in the modern day and age, but looking at this he had no trouble imagining it anymore.

And Oikawa was chattering his ear away.

"Back in the old days there were all these different rituals during the Winter Sabbat, but now we just meet and basically eat, drink and sing around the fire," he was saying and Hajime was only listening half-heartedly as he stared into the fire, where the flames took different shapes of animals and chased each other around the expanse of the bonfire. "We used to go to the more traditional ones when I was a kid, you know, to get a feel of how real witches do it. But ever since my sister moved out and I started high school we kind of just decided to move it closer to home."

"Do you miss it?" Hajime asked, even though he had no idea what he was asking about.

"The chanting until your throat is full of soot and jumping over the fire?" Oikawa cocked his head to the side, his lip curling in disgust. "Not really. This is much more pleasant."

Hajime hummed. His eyes didn't want to leave the fire and the figures moving inside it, for some reason it was weirdly enchanting. Oikawa snorted next to him and before Hajime could ask what was so funny a small hedgehog made of fire was jumping across the air right towards him. It stopped a few hops away, bouncing in a circle almost like a dog chasing its tail. Hajime's eyes sparkled as he watched it.

_Magic was incredible._

"You look like a kid, Iwa-chan," Oikawa said, holding back a chuckle, but somehow Hajime couldn't be angry at him. Not in that moment.

"Shut up," he replied. There was no bite in his voice. Actually... he might have been smiling.

"It's cute," Oikawa added. "I was just like that at my first Sabbat, too."

Oikawa's shoulder leaned a little against Hajime's as he took his hand and by the wrist guided it towards the small fiery hedgehog. It sniffed at Hajime's hand and then slowly – Hajime held his breath – it shifted closer only to lick one of Hajime's fingers. He expected it to be hot and burn his hand, but instead warmth tickled pleasantly across his skin _and Hajime giggled_.

One look at Oikawa's face had him scowling, though. He cleared his throat ignoring the mirth in Oikawa's brown eyes.

"You didn't hear that," he said, feeling embarrassment sting at the tips of his ears like the winter cold.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Iwa-chan," Oikawa sung, and it definitely sounded like " _No way in hell_ ," to Hajime's ears.

His scowl deepened. Before he could say anything, a loud chime sounded through the park.

"What's that?" he asked instead.

"Last call before dawn," Oikawa replied. "We should probably be getting back."

When they turned away from the fire Hajime indeed noticed that the sky above their heads was a lighter dark than it was before. They went back through the bushes, disturbing the creatures – the fairies, as he'd learned from Oikawa – once more, and then Oikawa did his thing with the crystal and the wall, and they were back in the dimly lit park that seemed far colder than only moments before.

"You're staying the night, right?" Oikawa asked casually as they walked back.

"You dragged my ass out on Christmas Eve, of course I'm staying," Hajime replied, ignoring the way Oikawa lit up with a smile.

"I'll give you something good for your trouble, don't worry," he said and Hajime's thoughts jumped right where they shouldn't.

"That better not have been an innuendo," he replied, even if his cheeks reddened.

"How crude, Iwa-chan," Oikawa sniffled. "I would never–"

"Yeah, right."

"Okay, fine, _I would_ , but I didn't this time!"

Hajime smirked to himself. "We'll just have to see, hmm?"

Oikawa squinted at him as if he wanted to say something more, but then decided against it.

They quickly made it back, snow resting on their heads and shoulders. Oikawa stopped by the door and pushed Hajime first. Hajime only raised an eyebrow at that.

"There's this custom," Oikawa explained. "I think it's complete bollocks, but you don't really want to risk it when magic's concerned," he shrugged.

"So, what is it?" Hajime eyed the door distrustfully as if it could grow a mouth and bite him. Hell, for all he knew, _it could_.

"A dark haired man has to enter the house first on the Christmas morning," Oikawa said. "It's just a charm for happiness, but if it's a woman who enters first it's considered extreme bad luck."

"Your parents aren't home then, I'm guessing?"

"Not for long hours," Oikawa nodded, smiling, and Hajime's heart sped up just a little.

He cleared his throat. "Anything I should look out for?"

"Just walk through the door and you'll be good."

So Hajime did. And nothing happened. Well, okay.

They walked over to the kitchen and Oikawa poured them both a glass of the same concoction they had at the Sabbat. Hajime sat on a high stool, drinking. The liquid was quickly warming him up, the tingle in his fingers was going away and overall he was starting to feel the sleepiness creep up on him. A look at the big clock hanging on the wall above the entrance told him it was almost six in the morning. Time sure flied at those witch gatherings, huh...

Oikawa returned a while later, carrying with him a small box which he then put on the table before Hajime.

"Merry Christmas," he said, sitting next to him.

"Witches give presents on Christmas, too?" Hajime asked as he picked the package and turned it around in careful hands.

"Only amongst family," Oikawa mumbled into his cup, his cheeks turning pink and Hajime felt his own face heat up.

Instead of dwelling on it – which was definitely not a good idea – he decided to open the present. He ripped away the wrapping paper and opened the box to find a delicate-looking silver bracelet inside. He picked it up. In the kitchen light he could see the different stones woven into the silver cages across the whole length of the silver chain.

"It's supposed to make you resistant to all kinds of magic," Oikawa said and when Hajime looked at him, he could see the apologetic smile tugging at Oikawa's lips. His eyes were serious, for once. "I thought you could use it now that I got you involved in this."

It was... touching. He always knew Oikawa cared, but to be this blatantly shown that he was really that important to him... Hajime didn't know how to say thanks.

"Well, I got you socks," he said instead.

And it seemed to be the right choice, because Oikawa's charming, honest laughter filled the kitchen space. A corner of Hajime's lips quirked.

"Are they fluffy at least?" Oikawa asked.

"The fluffiest I could find."

Oikawa cooed. "Thank you, Iwa-chan."

Suddenly his arms were full of Oikawa who was hugging him tightly. It was warm and comfortable though, so Hajime put his arms around Oikawa's waist and let his chin rest on Oikawa's shoulder. They would've probably stayed like that longer, but Oikawa's hair was right in Hajime's nose and when he took a breath, he got a whiff of the smell that was so uniquely Oikawa's he could feel his throat go dry.

He pulled back, heated in the face. Oikawa was blushing too and when they caught each other's eyes time seemed to have frozen. Hajime could hear his heartbeat in his ears and he was pretty certain Oikawa could hear it too, because he licked his dry lips absently. It immediately made Hajime focus there like a man dying of thirst focuses on a glass of water.

"Hey, Iwa-chan," Oikawa whispered, voice a little shaky and so low, Hajime could feel it settle deep in his bones. "Can I..."

He didn't finish. He didn't have to.

Hajime didn't even know when he opened his mouth. "Yeah..."

His voice was hoarse and breathless, and he wasn't sure Oikawa heard him, but when Hajime leaned over, so did Oikawa, and their lips met. It was different from their last kiss, but to Hajime it felt just as incredible, if not more.

And when Oikawa's tongue swiped across his bottom lip, Hajime could honestly say – _he believed in magic now_.

 

* * *

 

"Is that mistletoe? On your door?" Hajime asked, curious.

"That's to keep the evil spirits away," Oikawa explained. "We don't actually kiss under it."

"Oh, okay," Hajime nodded. "Let's stay in the kitchen then."

"Huh? Why?" Oikawa blinked at him.

"Well, if it's supposed to keep evil spirits from entering, wouldn't you have trouble getting in?"

"IWA-CHAN HOW DARE YOU–"

Hajime snickered.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried I'm sorry ;u;


End file.
